knaus berry farm

when Tom and I were engaged and I came to miami for a couple weeks before our wedding, some of Tom's friends wanted to go to a place called knaus berry farm. if you've ever been to southern california (like myself) you might think they were talking about knott's berry farm, which is indeed a theme park. I was SO confused the first time we went, believing we were going to a theme park, and instead showing up at a little farm/bakery in the middle of nowhere. 

my disappointment was soon over after I tasted the delicious baked goods they make. the farm and bakery is a place that is run by people who look amish, but they are actually dunkers, a german-origin church. they are only open november through april each year, so we took advantage and got ourselves some cinnamon rolls, herb sticks, shakes and a cheesecake. so good!

thankful

our Thanksgiving was lovely. we spent the day together as a family, cooking up a delectable meal and then feasting on said meal! Dean had a great time and Grandma even made him a cornish hen, just so he would have his own tiny "turkey."

this year, I have so much to be thankful for...but, I'm most thankful for my sweet little family, affectionately referred to as "my boys!"

fort lauderdale boat show

Tom's new job is the digital media specialist for Ferretti Group, a yacht company. obviously, when the fort lauderdale international boat show came, Tom had to work it. he stayed at a hotel that was close to the show and worked 12+ hour days. hurricane Sandy only forced them to cancel one day of the show (thankfully) and the rest of the time Tom was super busy. 

we had some friends who were in town and wanted to meet up, so Dean and I drove up and stayed the night in the hotel with Tom (Dean did NOT enjoy the 40 minute drive). we had a lot of fun at dinner with the Boyce family and they have three adorable kids who I had never met before. the next day, Dean and I explored the area and the very windy beach while Tom worked. we went to a restaurant right on the harbor and after Dean was sufficiently tired out, I drove back to Miami so Tom could focus on finishing the weekend.

Halloween

for Halloween, we did last-minute costumes. I was the referee, Tom an nba star, and Dean was our basketball! I always do last-minute costumes (an added element of suspense!?!) and I really hate store-bought costumes, so we bought Dean an orange shirt and stuffed it with the innards of one of our throw pillows. it was good enough for his first Halloween...seeing as he will only have these pictures to remember it. anyway, we trick-or-treated around Tom's parents' neighborhood, which was good because there were hardly any kids out at all (in stark contrast to last year in my parents' neighborhood where each household sends out a flock of children...yes, flocks!).

anyway, we had a good time and Dean enjoyed his dum-dum sucker and little bites of the chocolatey goodness I wharfed down. delicious! hope everyone had a happy Halloween!

my baby don't mess around

I was talking to my best friend (since 4th grade!) Ariana on Skype the other day, and she had her almost 3 month old baby girl while I had my 7 month old baby boy. she was making dinner, Skypeing with me and entertaining her baby all at the same time. her little girl was on the floor, just looking around being as cool as a cucumber. I commented on how chill she was and how it seemed miraculous to me that she was able to even make dinner. I told her how Dean wants to be held A LOT and how he usually wants me to entertain him, even at his advanced baby age. she told me her little girl has been like that since day one. 

at first, I was a little envious of her daughter's tranquility, ability to sleep through the night (still not happening over here), and the fact that she just lays her down to fall asleep (instead of the countless minutes of rocking we do). I lamented the fact that even in the hospital, Tom and I had to take turns holding Dean just so he was not screaming. I thought of how I had to throw my arm over one ear and cram the other full of pillow just to get some sleep while Tom held our seriously loud baby boy (sorry to whoever's room was next to us in the hospital).

but then, when i stopped to think about it, I love my little boy just the way he is. sure, he hasn't slept through the night yet (almost one time). at night, the only way he likes to sleep is to cuddle-sleep (I blame Tom because he, too, is a cuddle-bug). I had to use a breast shield while nursing him for the first 4 months of his life, and nursed him almost every 2 (daytime) hours until he started solids. the only way I could even think about cooking dinner was after Tom got home, so he could hold him. I had to carry that baby all the time and don't even get me started on how I'm the only person who can successfully rock him to sleep. 

but, he is so sweet. he gives the best cuddles at night with the sweetest little angel face that I've ever seen. I love that he gets excited when he sees me and wiggles toward me as I come to pick him up. I love that we have no need for a baby monitor, even in my in-laws 2 story house. I love his smiles just for me, that he has learned to give me kisses, and that he sort-of-kind-of says 'mama.' I love that he knows what he wants and tells us when he's unhappy; it's never a mystery if he's hungry/tired/hurt/wanting-to-be-held. the best part of it all, is that it's only getting easier as he grows and develops. now, he eats like a champ (breast and solids). he smiles and giggles all the time (even over Skype). he's become much more independent and can sit and play long enough for me to do things. 

I'm realizing that I love him all the more because he was (and is) so dependent on me.

pizzeria

as a wedding gift, we were given a pizza baking stone and rack. we left it in Tom's room (along with some other things) when we returned to BYU-Idaho because we had limited space and it was pretty heavy. now that we're back, we pulled it out and decided to use it. they pizzas we made were delicious! we've been trying to pitch in and make food while we've been living with the in-laws, especially because Juanita (Tom's Mom) works 5 days of the week. this time when we made the pizzas, we decided to imitate my favorite pizza, the O-riva from Oregano's in AZ. we topped the thin crust with sauce, tomatoes, artichoke chunks, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. this was my first time making pizza (or any food where the recipe calls for yeast) all by myself...and I am very happy at the way they turned out.

I used the recipe that came with the pizza stone and I have included it below, because I recommend it (and didn't mess it up).

Pizza Napolitana:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

cornmeal, for dusting on pizza peel (optional)

toppings:

1 cup pizza sauce

olive oil to taste

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

other toppings, as desired

Directions:

place yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer (although we don't have one and just mixed it by hand in a bowl, and it turned out fine). Add water and sugar; stir to combine. proof yeast 5 minutes, or until foamy. stir in salt, olive oil, and 1 cup flour. mix until blended. add additional 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour. mixing until a dough forms into a ball. remove dough from bowl to a floured surface. knead 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. place dough into a greased mixing bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. punch dough down; divide in half (reserve half the dough for another pizza or freeze for another time). 

Place the pizza baking stone in the oven; preheat to 450 F. 

on a lightly floured surface, working from the center to the edge, pat and roll the dough into a flattened circle that is a little smaller than the pizza baking stone. sprinkle the pizza baking stone with cornmeal. gently slide the pizza dough onto the pizza baking stone. spread the prepared dough with pizza sauce lightly over the top. scatter with grated mozzarella cheese and any other desired toppings. 

Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and light brown and the cheese is melted. carefully remove pizza and cut into 8 slices. (I recommend watching the pizza so yours doesn't burn like my peperoni one did). 

Enjoy!

over the weekend

...over the weekend, we celebrated Tom starting his new job. Tom's mom, Juanita, bought him a new pair of pants to wear to work. and after church on sunday, we drank bubbly sparkling cider and a plate of special cheese and meats. I made caramel apples, thanks to a caramel recipe from my Mom...then I proceeded to eat two of them. they were delicious...and perfect for autumn. speaking of which, the weather has finally cooled and there's a soft breeze lilting through the palm trees. florida has finally acknowledged the new season before us and I am grateful.

we are all hoping Tom's first day at work is a success. good luck my love!